Scottish Unitary Authorities Failing To Crack Down On Dogs

[brothermagrew]

Councils fail to crack down on dangerous dogs and owners

More than two-thirds of councils are failing to use new hardline powers to crack down on dangerous dogs and their owners that came into effect in February. Only 31 dog control notices, dubbed dog Asbos, have been issued since the new laws came into force. The MSP behind the Control of Dogs Act now says it is time for a wake-up call on the part of councils. Nationalist Christine Grahame said: "I'm disappointed that some local authorities have not woken up to the fact that Scotland is in advance of England in this matter in implementing the Control of Dogs Act.

"It tackles the deed, not the breed, and puts the onus on the owner, where it squarely belongs. I hope now with the publicity in England they will wake up to their responsibilities, because this is legislation. They can't just ignore it."

So far, 21 of the 31 councils that responded to the Scotsman's inquiries have not issued any notices. These include major cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee, while only two have been issued in Aberdeen.

Full article: http://www.scotsman.com/news/councils_f ... _1_1803012" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;